Avure's New HPP System is Game-Changer for Small and Medium Processors

Avure Technologies' new horizontal High Pressure Processing (HPP) system makes advanced food safety technology more affordable for small and mid-range processors. It also enables them to respond to growing consumer preferences for fresher, preservative-free, and reduced-sodium foods, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to Avure's press-release.

HPP is the post-packaging lethality treatment that inactivates foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms in products as diverse as RTE meats, soups, wet salads, fruit smoothies, and seafood. The new QFP 100-Liter 600, introduced today, is the next

logical step in the evolution of the Avure HPP family, which now processes over $2 billion of food products around the globe.

The smaller-footprint 100-Liter HPP system is a perfect match for small/medium-volume or seasonal processors that want to add this important layer of food safety protection, extend the shelf-life of their products, forego the use of preservatives, or develop new food applications.

"As food recalls continue to grab the headlines, high pressure processing becomes more and more compelling as a food safety measure," states Pat Adams, Avure's President and CEO. "It also allows processors to plug into the mounting demand for convenient, high-quality, healthful foods that don't contain additives and which have a much lower sodium content.

"Up until now preservatives and forms of sodium have been the traditional weapons for pathogen control and shelf-life extension," Adams continues. "HPP is the game-changer. It replaces chemicals while dramatically extending shelf-life. It is not a heat treatment, so there are limited effects on taste, texture, and nutritional properties."

With a sub-$1 million price tag that parallels its smaller footprint, Avure's new 100-Liter system brings the multiple benefits of HPP technology to a much broader swath of processors. The lower cost of entry comes with no sacrifice in throughput. "The 100-Liter is designed to generate the highest throughput possible at that size," says Adams. The 12.1-inch (308mm) -diameter vessel, into which product is loaded, affords maximum efficiency, accommodating various shaped packages, including bottles and cups. Production rates are an impressive 28,000 pounds (13,000 kilos) over a 20-hour workday.

The primary key food sectors for HPP are: ready-to-eat whole muscle and sliced meats; seafood; fresh-cut fruits and juices; deli salads, condiments, and dips; and soups, salsas, and sauces. In the United States, meat accounts for roughly 30 percent of total HPP usage, but only five percent of all RTE meat undergoes HPP treatment, representing a huge opportunity for growth.

The deli salad segment is another high-growth sector. "Currently, premium salads such as pastas with proteins that are made without preservatives have an average shelf-life of just four to eight days," says Adams. "HPP treatment can extend that to 30 to 50 days, producing a product with a clean label for which consumers are willing to pay a premium price."

Cost of the treatment is very product dependent but averages just pennies per pound. The HPP expense is often partially mitigated by the corresponding reduction in the cost of additives.

In many installations, HPP serves as a process enhancement, for example, tenderizing and marinating raw meat or fish products after packaging as part of the safety and shelf-life extension step. It also performs the shucking function on seafood lines, improving yields (100 percent meat separation) and generating significant labor savings.

The HPP-enabled longer shelf-life creates countless new product opportunities. Avure is especially well equipped to work with processors in crafting these new offerings. "One of our distinctions is the technical assistance we can provide to help clients bring successful HPP products to market," Adams points out. "The food scientists who work in our corporate facility and in conjunction with our network of certified HPP food labs are the go-to guys for creating new applications. We also look for ways to optimize throughput and the fill factor for the most economical processing."

The compact and highly efficient 100-Liter is built on a new design platform engineered for reliability, availability, and serviceability, with a high degree of self-diagnostics. It also sets new standards for energy efficiency and water conservation. About Avure Technologies Inc: Avure, the global leader in HPP technology, offers total solutions to keep food pathogen-free and fresh longer-from recipe development to installation of the fastest, most reliable high pressure presses in the world. HPP significantly extends product shelf-life while preserving and enhancing natural flavors, colors, taste, and texture. Since its first commercial application, for guacamole, in 1996, the company has installed and serviced more than 1,700 systems in 43 countries around the globe. Headquarters are in Kent, Washington, near Seattle, with equipment design, manufacturing, and support operations in Vasteras, Sweden; Columbus, Ohio; and regional sales and support operations globally.

For more information, visit http://www.avure.com/